Remote control for directing projected light



Sept. 15,v 1936. LEVY 2,054,224

REMOTE CONTROL FOR DIRECTING PROJECTED LIGHT Filed March 1, 19:55 s Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR B Jose 0;; 1 e vy ATTORN E! J. LEVY Sept. 15, 1936.

REMOTE CONTROL FOR DIRECTING PROJECTED LIGHT Filed March 1, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Josepfi Z a 5 BY r ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 193 6.

J. LEVY REMQTE CONTROL FOR DIRECTING PROJECTED LIGHT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 1, 1935 INVENTOR \foseph [61y ATTORNEY 1 6 5 w J UP WF n E m I. we 4 5 4 1i 4 AW Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES REMOTE CONTROL FOR DIRECTING PROJECTED LIGHT Joseph Levy, New York, N. Y., assignor to Gentury Lighting Equipment, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 1, 1935, Serial No. 8,854

1 Claim.

This invention relates to remote controlled apparatus for adjusting, guiding, controlling or directing the position of light projectors or mirrors, or the like, such as used for indoor or outdoor illumination in stage and display lighting, and for other like purposes, requiring the positioning of a light source, projector or reflector from a distance control point.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve remote controlled apparatus of the character described whereby few and simple parts shall be required, which shall be easily manipulated, controlled and adjusted, which shall be relatively cheap to construct, install and maintain, and which shall be practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompany drawings, in which are shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a remote controlled apparatus embodying the invention applied to selectively position a light reflector or projector whereby illumination may be directed in either horizontal or vertical planes or in angular relation to such planes by means of a single lever.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the unit shown in the lower portion of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views looking in the direction of the arrowed lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the unit shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken on lines 68 and respectively, in Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, an apparatus embodying the invention is shown which may comprise two spaced unite indicated generally at A (the upper portion) and B (the lower portion) in Fig. 1. The apparatus may include a dynamotor or other suitable power source P which through a cable C supplies power to bus terminals T. The latter, through cables H), H, l2, and l3 feed power to Selsyn type motors ML M2, M3, and M4 of well understood construction.

As seen from Fig. 1, the circuit connections of these motors Ml M2, M3, and M4 with the cables l8, l2, and I3 are such that the motors MI and M3 cooperate, being connected in the power circuit through cables ill and II and interconnected with each other through cable l4, and motors M2 and M4 cooperate, being similarly connected in circuit through cables I2 and I3 and interconnected through cable I 5. As is well understood, the motion transmission through the pairs of motors Ml, M3 and M2, M4 operate in such a manner that on rotating the armature shaft N5 of the motor MI, an exact and identical rotation of the armature shaft I! of the motor M3 is produced. Similarly, the rotation of the armature shaft |8 of the motor M2, produces an exact and identical rotation of the armature shaft IQ of the motor M4. The parts of the apparatus are so constructed and arranged so as to selectively position a light projector 20 or in this case a mirror reflector, or the like (hereinafter referred to as a light projector), included in unit A in horizontal or vertical planes or in angular relation to such planes by means of manipulating a single control lever 2| included in unit B which may be spaced therefrom, as will hereinafter be described.

The control lever 2! may be mounted on a suitable fixed support 22 of the unit A by any suitable means such as the bolted base 23. A universal joint 24 or the like has a lower end 24a supported on said base 23 and the other or upper end 241) being secured to be operated by the lever 2| having a, terminal knob 2| a. Thus the lever 2| may be moved to the right and left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or forward and backward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, through the joint 24 so as to be selectively positioned in angular relation with respect to vertical or upright positions as indicated in full and dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

When lever 2| is swung to the right or left (Fig. 2), it moves a. link 25 to angularly displace a rock arm 26 connected in driving relation to a shaft 21 as shown in Fig. 4. This latter shaft has mounted to turn therewith, a gear 28 meshing with a gear 29 mounted on a shaft 30 lying parallel to shaft 21. Both of these shafts 21 and 30 are suitably journalled in spaced upright members 35 and 36, see Figs. 1 and 4. Gear 29 is rigidly attached to turn with a larger gear 3| meshing with a pinion gear 32 keyed to the shaft l6 of Selsyn motor M|.

In the Selsyn type of transmission, current supplied to motors M and M3, the interconnection of the motors through cable I 4 and movement of the motor armature shaft l5 of motor M causes the shaft I of the motor M3 with the pinion 4| to turn to the same relative degree as the armature shaft I5 of the motor MI. The pinion 4| meshes with gear 48 which is mounted to turn with a rock arm 42 and the latter moves a rack bar 44 to slide in spaced guides 45 through the link 43 as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

A frame 50 which includes a T-mounting 5| and spaced uprights 52 support the light projector 29 for movement about a vertical axis X-X, said movement being efiectecl through a pinion 41 fixed to turn with a sleeve shaft 53 forming part of the T-mounting 5i. Said shaft is journalled in the stationary bracket arm '38 bolted to support 22 and said pinion l! meshes with said rack bar 34 as is shown in Figs. 5, 6,

and '7. The above described gear trains between the lever 2| and the motor shaft I5, and between the motor shaft H and the frame 50 serves as motion reduction means to give the proper ratio changes of movement of the lever 2| with respect to each of the motor shafts l6 and IS.

A link 50 having a plurality of spaced holes 55a formed therein, is connected at one end to a rock arm 42 and at the other end to alever 65 which is fulcrumed at 52 on one of the spaced guides 45, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7; The end of lever 6i opposite the link 6!] connecting with the arm 42' carries a fork 63 engaging in a grooved collar 64, the latter being rigidly connected to a lower end of a slidable shaft 55. Said shaft 55 extends through the sleeve shaft 55 and carries at the upper end thereof a cross-bar 56 whose ends 560, are slidably fitted in elongated slots 52a of the lower end of the frame uprights Inwardly from each cross-shaft 10 which has secured to turn therewith the light projector 26, said shaft 75 being journalled in the frame uprights 52 at the upper end thereof. Each rack bar 51 may be swingably mounted on the crossbar 56 and fiat springs 59 on frame uprights 52 are provided to hold the teeth of said rack bars in mesh with the pinions 68. This construction permits an initial adjustment of the light projector with respect to the control handle 2!,

such adjustment being accomplished by moving the rack bars 67, against action of the flat springs 69, out of mesh with the pinions 68 and turn the projector 28 to any desired angle with respect to the horizontal plane and then releasing the rack bars 67 to reengage with the pinions 58.

If the lever 2| be moved in forward and backward directions (Fig. 3) instead of from right to left, a link will react upon a rock arm 25' which turns witha shaft 21 for rotating the gear 28 meshing with the gear 29 mounted to turn with the shaft 38. The gear 29' is mounted to turn with a larger gear 3| meshing with a pinion gear 32 keyed to the shaft it of the motor M2. Both of the shafts 21 and 3B are suitably journalled in spaced upright members 35 and 36' (see Figs. 1 and 3). The arrangement of the parts and operations of the above described gear train being the same as has been already referred to in connection with the gear train assembly associated'with Selsyn motor Mi. The movement of the armature shaft 18 of the motor M2 and the connection of the cable with the Selsyn motor M4 causes the shaft IQ of the latter with the pinion 4! to turn to the same relative degree as the rotation of the armature l8 for driving the rock arm 42'. The above described gear trains between the lever 2i and the motor shaft [9 and the projector 25 and the shaft 19 supporting. said projector serves as a motion reduction means to give the proper changes of movement of the lever 2i and of the motor shafts IT and I9, respectively.

With the apparatus as described above and shown in the drawings, it will be seen that when the lever 2! moves in the direction from right to left, as shown in Fig. 2, the motion reduction means and the motor transmission MI and M3 move the link 43 to rotate the frame 53 with projector 25 about the vertical axis X-X. If on the other hand, the lever 2| is moved in a forward and backward direction, as shown in Fig. 3, the motion reduction means and the motor transmissions M2 and Mt movethe lever 5i for sliding the shaft 55 together with the bar 56 through the sleeve shaft 53 to raise or lower the rack bars 51 to swing the projector 28 on the shaft 76 about the horizontal axis Y-Y; Obviously, if the lever 2% is moved into intermediate positions, that is, combining both the left and right, and backward and forward movements, then the motion reduction means and the motor transmissions Ml, M2 and M3, M4 respectively, will simultaneously effect the resulting movement to the projector 25 about both its horizontal axis XX and vertical axis Y-Y whereby the light can be projected in any desired direction on manipulation of the lever 2!. The various holes of link 63 provide adjustment of the angular displacevment of t e lever 6i and set the initial position including the light projector 29, located forex ample, adjacent the ceiling of a theatre and with the unit B, including the control lever 2 i, on the stage, the reflected or projected light from the projector 25 may then be caused to illuminate any part of the stage and such light may be made to readilyfollow the performer or moving object by manipulating the control lever 2 l 7 It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown inthe accompanying drawings is to be interpreted-as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a remote control system comprising a directional energy translating device mounted to oscillate about a pair of axes, a pair of electric motors to oscillate said device about one axis and a second pair of electric motors to oscillate said device about the other axis, one of the motors in each pair being mechanically connected to said device, and the other being located at a point remote from said device and the motors in each pair being electrically connected so that movement of the rotor of one results in a corresponding movement of the rotor of the other; a lever for mechanically rotating the rotors of the remote motors independently and concomitantly, said lever having at one end a mounting permitting universal movement thereof and being free at the other end for manipulation and mechanical means including links extending at right angles to each other interposed between an intermediate point on said lever and each rotor of said remote motors to resolve movements of said lever into corresponding components for converting a translational movement of said lever into a rotational movement of said rotors.

. JOSEPH LEVY. 

